


Angels

by Joeanthur



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angels, F/M, Obsession, Schizophrenia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-04 17:08:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12173172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joeanthur/pseuds/Joeanthur
Summary: Gabriel breaks up with girlfriend because he found out she was lying to him, but he never realized how much was going on with her under the surface, and how dangerous she really was.





	Angels

Gabriel came home, arms full of groceries, exhausted from working the night before and was seeing tiny black dots every time he blinked. He set his groceries down on the kitchen counter and stumbled into his bedroom. Gabriel pulled off his shoes and went to lay down, but instead of being comforted by his blankets, his head hit the corner of a cardboard box. Gabriel sat up and pulled the box into his lap. The words “From Anna”, were written on the top of the box. Gabriel took a deep breath and opened it. The box was filled with random things from their recently ended relationship, most of it being things he hadn’t even known she’d had. He moved aside the jacket he’d thought he had left behind at work, and pulled out some letters she had written. Each one was labeled by a date. Gabriel got up and searched the house for Anna. He checked all the rooms, closets, cabinets and anywhere else he could think of. This was crossing the line. This was different than her following him around town from a distance or checking his Facebook and liking photos from years ago, this was terrifying. Gabriel went back to his room and to the box. He could just leave it. Just walk away, call the police to have them make her stop stalking him and move on. Gabriel sat back down on his bed and opened the first letter.   
March 17th  
We met today. You’re in my P.E. class. It’s supposed to be only freshmen, but you moved here so you have to take it now even though you’re a senior. My friends told me about you. You’re really cute, with brown, curly hair and green eyes. I like green eyes. I think you’re amazing, but my parents tell me I’m not good enough for a pretty boy like you. We’ll prove them wrong won’t we? You’ll take me to prom and we’ll dance together, and you’ll ignore all the staring and laughing and you’ll kiss me. We’ll drive to an empty parking lot and make love in the back of your car and you’ll be scared that I’m too young, not ready yet, and I’ll tell you I am, and not to worry. We’ll almost get caught and we’ll just laugh. I know you’re going to be graduating and trying to move on from high school, but I know you’ll love me so much, you’ll wait for me. It’ll be perfect.

The letter made Gabriel’s arms grow armies of goosebumps. Gabriel wasn’t sure how he hadn’t seen it before. It had been so obvious, he could’ve figured it out sooner but he just ignored every red flag, every hint he had been given, and he’d fallen for it, fallen for her. Just like he had fallen for Melanie. Anna had stood out to him, she was short, with wide hips and long red hair, and she reminded him of home. It was like she was taunting him, taking what he left behind in Hawaii and throwing it in his face. He was getting tired of it. It just made him miss Melanie more.   
Gabriel looked back into the box. His chest ached and he closed his eyes. Anna was everything to him. She always made his day better, she paid attention to the small details, like what he liked for breakfast and what subjects he had trouble with. It had been nice expecting a ‘Good morning’ text from her when he woke up and being able to talk to someone and have them really listen. Even after the lies and the heart ache, he still cared. And so he opened another letter.   
March 23rd   
You talked to me today. You asked me how I was doing and invited me to sit with you at lunch. I have been waiting for this day since we met. It was beautiful. I heard the angels. They told me that you were the one, the one to write about. I’ve been dreaming about writing the best love story ever since I was a little girl, and that love story is ours. I agreed to sit with you. I couldn’t eat, I was so nervous. You only ate half of your apple and I had to hold back my urge to take it and eat the rest so I would have your saliva inside me. The angels told me you’d think I was weird and that you wouldn’t talk to me anymore. You asked me how old I was and I lied and told you seventeen. I didn’t want you to think I was too young. I was so scared you’d reject me. You told me you were seventeen too, and you asked me what year I was, I told you the truth about that, that I’m a freshman. I told you I had failed a couple times and that I was working on graduating soon with online school along with normal school. You believed me. 

Gabriel needed to talk to someone about this. He reached for his phone, but it wasn’t there. He walked out to the kitchen to see if he had left it in one of the bags.   
His house phone rang and he jumped. He always forgot he had the house phone - his mom had made him get it in case he lost his cell phone or it died and he needed to get ahold of her. He picked up the phone and started putting away the groceries with one hand.  
“Hello?” Gabriel struggled to open the fridge with his foot.  
“Hi Gabriel. It’s Anna.” Gabriel set down the carton of milk he had been trying to coax into the fridge and leaned back against the counter.  
“Why are you calling me? Anna it’s over, we’re done.” Gabriel started moving everything out of the bags, throwing them out on the counter, he needed to find his phone now. “And how did you get my house phone number?”  
“Gabriel sweetie, you have the number stored in your cell phone. I just wanted to call so we could meet so I could give it back to you.” Anna’s voice was higher than normal, it wasn’t a good sign. It made Gabriel’s heart race.   
“How the fuck did you get my cell phone!” Gabriel shouted and locked his front door. His stomach was turning. He ran through the house checking every room, every closet, every cabinet to make sure she wasn’t there.  
“Let’s not worry about trivial things like that. I wrote you another letter. It’s a good one. I wanted to read it to you.” Gabriel could hear the sly smile in her voice as she made sure to pronounce each word.   
“Fuck you, fuck your letters, bring me my fucking phone and leave me alone. Anna, we’re done, you lied to me, and you broke my fucking heart.”   
“So I can come over?” Anna sounded like herself again. “I really wanna see you. We could work things out!”   
Gabriel thought about it for a moment, she was acting way weirder than normal and it was freaking him out, and so were the letters. He had to call the police. If they came, they could take her, take care of her, and this would all be over.   
“Yes. Yes come over. Right now. I have to go so I can clean, but come on over.” Gabriel quickly hung up and called the police. He hoped that Anna didn’t suspect anything.  
It was hard to explain to them what was going on. He had to keep repeating himself, yes it was just a teenage girl, no she hadn’t done anything yet, and yes it is an actual emergency. Of course they didn’t laugh at him, but he could tell they thought he was trying to be a smart ass and just bother them for no reason.   
“No, she’s my ex-girlfriend. She’s 15, and thinks angels are talking to her, she stole my phone, and she needs help.” Gabriel tried to explain.   
“Angels? So she’s religious, what’s the problem?”   
“No, you don’t understand, she’s dangerous. She also broke into my house. She’s crazy, she needs help and she’s on her way over to my house.”   
After a few minutes of almost begging from Gabriel they agreed to send someone to talk to Anna and try to get his phone back from her. Gabriel finished unpacking his groceries with shaky hands. After he finished he went and got the box out of his room so he could give it to the police when they came. He pulled up his blinds so he could see when they got here. He opened another letter.   
April 1st  
Today is April Fool’s Day. The angels told me not to play a prank on you, that we weren’t close enough yet, but you played a prank on me. I saw you talking to Emily Tanner. She’s in a couple of your classes and I know you’ve studied with her a few times. It’s her birthday today and I guess you were wishing her happy birthday. But then here’s the fun part, you hugged her! HAHAHA! What a good prank! You got almost got me! I was really scared for a second that you were picking her over me. She’s obviously prettier, but we both know I’m the one for you. The only one you’ll ever love. I told her to leave you alone and I can promise you if she bothers you again I’ll talk to her and stop her. I’ll be the best girlfriend ever.   
April 9th   
You finally asked me out today. You were nervous and you kept playing with your hair. Of course I said yes. The angels said things were going to go really well on our date on Friday and they know everything. I hope you’ll kiss me. I want you to kiss me. I need you to kiss me. I gave you my phone number. You haven’t texted me yet, but I know you will. I want to go to bed because I’m tired, but the angels said if I fall asleep and you text me then I can’t text back and you’ll hate me and everything will be ruined.   
Gabriel had known Anna was into him since he had invited her to sit with him, and he decided to give her a chance. He planned to stay here in New York anyway so it didn’t matter that she would’ve still been in high school.   
April 12th   
We went on our date today. You met my parents. I didn’t want you to meet them, I was afraid they’d tell you the truth that I wasn’t seventeen and then you wouldn’t love me. I love you already. I’ve loved you since I met you. I know for sure, the angels told me. You took me to the carnival that was in town. I wanted you to win me a teddy bear, like all the other couples, but the angels told me not to ask. They told me that was selfish. So instead we rode lots of rides and you threw up. You told me not to watch, but I did anyway. We’re going to get married one day anyway I might as well get used to it. We held hands a lot. Your hands got sweaty. You drove me home and kissed me at the door. You called me Melanie on accident. I don’t know who that is, but that’s okay. If you want me to be Melanie I can be Melanie.   
April 13th  
I found Melanie while going through your friends on Facebook. She’s pretty. Has red hair like me. Has brown eyes like me. She’s your ex-girlfriend and I’m your current girlfriend so that makes me better than her. Not to mention she’s your ex for a reason. I want to ask, but I don’t want you to know I found her. I wanted to message her, get to know her but I was afraid she’d tell you. I could be more like her if you want Gabriel. I could lose weight, be skinny like her, I could break my nose so that I have to get surgery and I can make it look like hers. I’ll be her for you Gabriel. I won’t hurt you like she probably did. You’ll love me more than you loved her and you’ll never leave me. The angels agree that this is the right thing to do. 

Anna showed up first, no surprise there. She had walked over, since she couldn’t drive yet, and stood outside the door. She knocked once. Gabriel didn’t answer. She knocked again. Gabriel still didn’t answer. Gabriel expected her to start banging on the door and screaming for him, but she didn’t. Instead she just sat on the ground in front of the window so he could see her staring at him. She never looked away. Her gaze hurt. Gabriel dug deeper into the box, past framed photoshopped pictures of the two of them and old gum wrappers of his. The pictures really freaked him out. They looked real, it made him uneasy, he found himself wondering if he had really gone to Disney with her family and had just forgotten about it. There was one that supposed to be with him and Melanie, but instead of Melanie’s face, it was Anna’s. It was eerie how alike they looked. Gabriel knew that Mel and Anna looked alike, but he didn’t realize they looked that similar.   
April 20th   
Today was prom. It was magical, it really was. We were so cute together. I didn’t have any friends there and that concerned you - you assumed I would have known at least some of the older kids from elementary school. I just blew it off, and thankfully so did you. The angels told me that you don’t love me yet so I can’t tell you the truth yet. You have to love me first so you don’t leave me. I know you’ll understand. I’ll tell you and you’ll smile and say I’m so silly that you’d love me no matter what. I wanted us to make love, like I’d always dreamed about, but my parents ruined that. I’m sure you wanted me too. With the way you were looking at me, I just know you did. 

Gabriel looked up. It was beginning to rain. Anna was still sitting there on the ground, just looking at him. Gabriel sighed. He would have to let her inside. Even if she was creepy and dangerous, she was still Anna. He would always have a soft spot for her. He even felt kind of bad for her. She obviously had some sort of mental problem, and he just wanted to help her. Besides she was a slightly overweight teenage girl, what all could she do?  
“Hey…Anna.” Gabriel opened the door. Anna jumped up and ran over to the door, throwing her arms around Gabriel. Anna was soaked and Gabriel let her inside. He grabbed his old jacket out of the box Anna left and put it around her shoulders. Anna looked up at Gabriel and fluttered her eyelashes at him.   
“Gabriel thank you, I know you don’t want to see me right now-”  
“I don’t want to talk.” Gabriel stood in the kitchen while Anna sat on his couch. Gabriel didn’t want her to overreact or begin to suspect anything.   
“I know baby.”  
“Don’t call me baby.”   
“Fine. I know Gabriel.” Anna crossed her arms and her ankles and she slightly turned her body away from him. “I’m almost sixteen ya know. It’s not weird for us to be dating. My parents are about ten years apart.”  
“Shut up Anna.” Gabriel took a deep breath. Anna was dangerous. She was already stalking him and breaking into his house and stealing his things. He needed to keep her calm until the police came. “I’m sorry. I know.”  
“So we can try again?” Anna stood up and faced Gabriel again so quickly that it scared him. Her optimism was such an abrupt change, but it was a part of her Gabriel used to love. She could be miserable one moment, and in a split second be beaming with happiness. He used to see it as her just being positive when she became upset, but he now saw that it was part of her instability.   
“Oh…I don’t think so Anna. I love you, I really do.” Gabriel leaned back against the counter. “Uh…do you think maybe I could get my phone back now?” Gabriel stood back up and started to walk over to Anna slowly.   
“Oh that silly thing? I threw it in the lake on my way here.” Anna smiled, proud of herself. “Some girl named Melanie called you.”   
“Melanie called.” Gabriel whispered to himself. Gabriel wanted to be happy, Melanie was reaching out to him, but Anna was here. And Anna knew who Melanie was.   
“Yes. Thankfully I answered, put that stupid slut in her place.” Anna’s smile grew and she held back laughter. Gabriel blinked at her. He’d never heard Anna say anything like that before. Her sudden aggression made Gabriel rethink his decision to let Anna into his house.   
“Don’t call her that!” Gabriel took a step forward and Anna leaned back onto the couch, folding her arms.   
“Gabriel sweetie, she’s not good for you.”   
“What did you say to her?” Gabriel closed his eyes and pressed his fingertips to his forehead.   
“Don’t worry about it.”  
“Tell me what you said to her. She’s important to me. You better not have messed with her.”   
“You’re such a drama queen Gabriel. I just told her that you were with me now, and that she has no chance with you.” Anna’s voice was so sweet sounding, so calming, it was hard for Gabriel to be mad at her. He thought about those long nights that he spent on the phone with her talking about their days and how they couldn’t sleep. That Anna was so different the one that was sitting on his couch now.   
“Such a drama queen…” Anna looked out the window, frowning.   
Gabriel jumped as someone knocked harshly on his front door.   
“Gabriel sweetie what did you do?” Anna actually sounded worried. She leaned forward and snapped her head back to look at him.   
Gabriel tried to keep as much distance as he could between Anna and himself as he opened the door and stepped outside closing the door behind him. The policewoman had a name tag that said “Preston” in onyx letters.   
“You called?” She was chewing gum and refused to make eye contact. “About some girl?”  
Gabriel nodded and pulled on her arm trying to pull her inside. “She’s in here, she’s fucking crazy, and you need to get her out of here. You need to help her.”  
The policewoman yanked her arm away from Gabriel. “It’s just a domestic dispute, I’ll handle this.” She rolled her eyes as she spoke into her walkie-talkie.   
“No, you don’t understand, she’s really crazy. She needs help.” Gabriel pleaded with her standing between her and the door.   
Anna opened the door from behind them and Gabriel turned to look at her.  
“Gabriel who’s this?” Anna closed the door behind her. “Is something wrong?” She blinked her eyes at him giving him an innocent look, the same one she used to trick him.   
“Please, you have to take her to get help. She thinks she sees angels.” Gabriel turned back toward Officer Preston.  
“I don’t see them.” Anna whispered from behind him.   
“She’s been stalking me a-a-and she stole my phone. She broke into my house!”  
“That’s not true officer.”  
“You need to take her!”   
Anna screamed and pushed Gabriel down. “Look,” she sighed, flipping her hair out of her face. “There’s nothing wrong with me, okay? I’m perfectly normal. Gabriel here-” She kicked him hard enough that his side felt like it had been set on fire- “just doesn’t understand teenage girls.” Anna smiled at Officer Preston.   
Officer Preston put her hand on the handcuffs that hung off her belt. “Now, why don’t you tell me your name?” She took half a step toward Anna. Gabriel stood up, still holding his side, and moved behind Officer Preston. He grimaced and cursed to himself. Anna had been perfect, they were so in love, and how could it all have gone to shit in only a few months? It pained him to see this completely different person wearing the face of the girl he had fallen in love with twice.   
“Melanie Peterson.” Anna said looking at Gabriel.   
“No, no, no her name is Anna. Anna Ross, she’s lying.” Gabriel stepped backwards trying to put more distance between them.   
“Now, Anna, you need to stay calm. I’m gonna take you with me, okay?” Officer Preston reached her hand out and grabbed Anna’s arm. Anna froze. ”It’s alright. I know you’re upset, let’s get you to the station okay? Just come with me.” Officer Preston look her hand off her handcuffs and tried to pull Anna against her.   
“The angels warned me that you’d betray me. You were supposed to love me. You said you loved me. You were supposed to love me!” Anna sat on the ground, sobbing. Officer Preston reached out and gently led Anna to her feet.   
“You can talk about this later. Come on, let’s go.” Officer Preston coaxed her to her feet and began to walk with her toward her police car. Gabriel stepped aside to give them room.  
Anna yanked her arm away from Officer Preston. “I’ll go, I’ll go, but let me read the letter first. I told him I would.”   
“You can read it later!” Gabriel cried out. “When you’re calm.”   
“I am calm!” She shouted at him and ripped the policewoman’s gun out of its holster. She fired the gun several times, hitting the house, shattering a window, and hitting Gabriel’s chest.   
Gabriel sank to the ground, holding his chest as blood gushed through his fingertips. The world was spinning above him and he felt sweaty all over. He closed his eyes, struggling to get enough air. He heard another gun shot, and another and another.   
Anna put the gun down next to the crumpled body of Officer Preston. “I really wish you hadn’t brought her in on this Gabriel. She shouldn’t have had to die for your mistake.”   
Anna walked over to Gabriel and crouched down next to him. “It’s so silly, all of this. All you had to do was love me. I’m going to read you the last letter now, so do us both a favor and stay down okay?”   
Anna pulled the letter out of her pocket.   
“August 18th,   
Gabriel, you broke up with me today, and I must say I’m disappointed. The angels told me you didn’t really love me yet, but I didn’t believe them. You found out the truth today, that I’m really fifteen and that I’ve lied to you about so much. I had to though, you just don’t understand yet. I’m still your Annie, it’ll be okay, and we’ll get through this. I look a lot like Melanie now I’ve lost twenty pounds and I grew my hair out. You’ve forgotten about her, so I’ve succeeded. I’ll give you time Gabriel, time to love me. It won’t be long until you’re calling me telling me you want me back. I’ll be waiting.”   
Anna folded the letter again and put it back in her pocket. “I’m sorry it came to this.”   
Gabriel struggled to open his eyes. His vision was blurry. “Mel?” He croaked out. Anna slapped him.   
“Shut up about her! You don’t need her!” Anna yelled over the sound of approaching sirens. Anna held Gabriel’s hand and sat there watching him as his lips turned blue and the bottom of her sundress became stained red. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you, I loved you ya know, I loved you and I’m gonna write a book about you and I’m gonna name my children after you, can you imagine that? Don’t leave me please.” Anna’s chest ached as she sobbed over his body.   
She sat there and watched the world fade around her, all she could see was Gabriel. This was it. The beautiful ending the angels had been telling her about since she was a little girl. She had been waiting for this moment her entire life. She smiled realizing that the pretending, the lying, trying to fit in, it had all been worth it. She did what the angels had told her and now she was going to get her eternity with her Gabriel.   
An angel’s arm reached for her and helped her to her feet. Two other angels lifted Gabriel’s body onto a gurney and took him away, away, away.   
“Anna, we’re going to need to come with us now.” The angel told her as he carefully led her away.   
Anna looked up at the sky and smiled. The angels had come to save her, they forgave her for telling him the truth too early and they were accepting her. They were going to take her back to Gabriel.   
“Thank you.” She whispered as she got into the chariot, to her special place in heaven.


End file.
